Felon arrested in hallway of rural B.C. courthouse

RCMP in Princeton made an arrest Thursday in the hallways of the local courthouse.

A man attending court to answer charges of motor vehicle theft and mischief was quickly taken into custody and put behind bars before court began.

Rodney Saddleman, 33, formerly of Princeton and currently residing in Hedley, was charged Friday morning with carrying a concealed weapon, possession of methamphetamine and two counts of breach of probation.

RCMP Corporal Chad Parsons said police made the arrest after the sheriff searched a backpack Saddleman was attempting to carry into the courtroom.

“Common practice is that the sheriffs will search people’s belongings,” said Parsons. “This just happened to be in front of several RCMP officers.”

Three weeks ago Saddleman was released from incarceration that was the result of a previous criminal conviction.

Parsons said further charges related to Thursday’s incident are pending.